The Gift of Music
by Fan of the Phantom
Summary: It's now several months after the incident at the Opera Populaire. The lonely Phantom is joined by Madame Giry on the night of Christmas Eve...
1. Christmas Eve

Disclaimer & Author's Note: Here is a Christmas fic that I originally was going to enter in a contest. Sad to say, I ran out of time to finish writing it and submit it in. I decided to finish it later so I would have the time to edit the story and make it more beautiful. I hope you enjoy reading this and I also ask that you please leave a review! I would love to hear feedback with any praise or constructive criticism. Last but not least, I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or any of its songs, the libretto, or copyrights. Here's to a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Gift of Music

It was the most tranquil night. Snow silently drifted downward form the heavens above to cover the surrounding buildings in a blanket of white. The city of Paris, normally bustling with night life, was unusually quiet that evening. Mothers had tucked in their children hours ago and even most of the night crawlers had gone to bed.

For this one night, everyone seemed to be at peace-except for one lone man standing on the roof of the Paris Opera. He donned a cape and a mask covered half of his face. This man would haunt the opera house with his mysterious letters and his enchanting music. Not to mention he was infamous for stopping several shows/creating problems for the people acting on stage. He was known as the Phantom of the Opera.

However, the Phantom had not had any company for a while now. Several months had passed since his lovely opera house held a performing show. Now he was the only one left to reside in the once glorious theater. This reason was partly why he stood on the roof during this cold winter night with a heavy heart. However, it greatly troubled him that one particular person had left the opera house: His beloved Christine.

"Christine," the masked man murmured to himself.

"You miss her, don't you?" a feminine voice asked the troubled Phantom.

The unexpected voice almost made the masked man jump. The opera ghost turned around to see a middle aged woman approach him. She had her long brown hair tied back into a bun and was dressed warmly from the cold. Even though she carried something bulky wrapped in a blanket, the Phantom still did not hear the graceful lady draw near him. This woman probably attained her elegant stride from her years of dancing and working with other ballerinas. He had forgotten how quiet his old friend could creep around the theater.

"Madame Giry," the Phantom greeted her, "I hope you've been well lately. You don't visit very much anymore."

"No, I don't," the ballet captain ashamedly answered him, "And I could be better off. I've been searching to direct another dance troupe ever since the theater was closed. None of the other respectable theaters will hire me. Would you like some tea Monsieur?" Madame Giry offered the Phantom a mug and he could see that she carried a teapot within the folds of the blanket.

"I suppose, since you went to all the trouble," The opera ghost took the mug and Madame Giry began to pour some steaming tea before he continued, "I'm sorry, Madame. I wish I could help. Maybe I could pay a visit to one of the dance captains and-"

"Erik! No! I won't allow you to kill anyone else!" The previous ballet captain stopped pouring the hot liquid. "I appreciate your concern for me, but I can't let you kill someone just so I can work! I don't need the money _that_ much, considering that Meg is in a new dance troupe."

"Really?" the Phantom inquired, "Has she been in any current shows?"

Madame finished pouring tea for the Phantom and said, "At the moment, Meg has a short break from performing since it's the Christmas holiday. She recently danced in a reproduction of _Carmen _at the Opera Comique and I must say it was a huge success."

"Well, good for her! At least someone's continuing to publically use their talents." Erik took a long drink from his mug. At the same time Madame Giry told him, "Meg is also excited that she's the maid of honor in Christine's wedding."

At that point, Erik spewed a lot of his tea. "What?" the shocked Phantom exclaimed, "Christine is getting married to the Viscount?"

"Of course!" Madame Giry answered him, "Raoul proposed to Christine last winter. It's about time they are married! Erik, please don't try to interfere with their plans. It'll just end in heartbreak for everyone!"

"Don't worry, Madame!" the Phantom tried to console her, "I won't get into any of their business. I let Christine go with him and I won't try to take her back. I was just shocked to hear that they're to be married soon." Despite his promise the opera ghost couldn't help but ask Madame Giry, "When is the wedding?"

"New Year's Day," the former ballet captain replied as she took her mug away from the Phantom, "They will be married in seven days."

"Wait, wouldn't it be eight? It's the twenty-fourth-"

"Not anymore," Madame Giry corrected him.

As if on cue, the bells from the nearby clock tower began to chime. The bells clanged twelve times to signal the arrival of Christmas day. Hearing those bells made the Phantom sigh.

Normally Erik wouldn't have even _acknowledged_ Christmas but something about the holiday this year made the secluded opera ghost even lonelier. Perhaps it was the fact that people never celebrated Christmas by themselves. They always gave each other gifts and threw gay parties. Now, the Phantom realized just how much he missed his Angel of Music and her lovely singing voice. He wished he could spend his Christmas with her and sing to her again.

To distract himself from the pain, the musical Phantom took out a black, leather covered book that he'd kept hidden in the folds of his cape. He opened it and read over some of the notes he wrote in it.

Madame Giry gently set her blanket with the teapot and mug wrapped inside down in the snow. Then she approached Erik and asked him, "What are you reading?"

"This book has the current score for my latest opera," the Angel of Music replied. "What do you think of the title?" the Phantom asked Madame Giry. The cover read: _The Phantom of the Opera_.

The former ballet captain looked at the book and said, "I think it's rather captivating. Is this an opera based off of your life?"

"Yes, you could say that. I'm planning on it being a little more extravagant than my actual life so it'll make things much more interesting," the Phantom revealed to Madame Giry.

"Why do you need to do that?" his friend inquired confused, "Your life is very interesting already. Almost _too_ interesting." The masked opera ghost couldn't find any way to argue that point so he tucked his book away without saying a word.

The two good friends remained quiet for a little while. It wasn't until the Phantom spoke that the silence was broken. "So, how is Christine coping with the prospect of marriage?"

"Christine is looking forward to marrying Raoul but she is very stressed about plans for the wedding. She's in charge of all the necessary preparations for their wedding and she's also helping with the renovations for their new house. Raoul helps a little bit but he's occupied with his duties as Viscount a great deal."

"By duties are you referring to hosting lavish parties?" the Phantom asked sarcastically. Madame Giry gave him a scathing look.

"Sorry," the miserable masked man apologized. He turned away from the former dance captain.

The two of them reservedly stood there watching the white snow fall. The moment would have been peaceful if not for the awkward tension between the two old friends. This time it was Madame Giry who broke the silence, "I can tell that Christine has been having a hard time adjusting to this new life of hers."

"I can imagine so. Has she been taking good care of herself?" Erik asked concernedly.

"I think Christine eats and washes regularly, but she could use some more rest. Every time I see her, she looks so…weary. She has gray circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep. She'll always keep a smile on her face but I know that she's tired of getting everything ready. Now she even talks of her wedding like it's just an enormous hassle."

"Well, I can see why-"

"She's working herself too hard," the ballet captain spoke through the Phantom's interruption, "and she's not giving herself enough time to relax. Besides, I think another reason why Christine's not happy is because she's too busy to sing or do anything with music."

"What?" the Phantom angrily exclaimed, "You're telling me that because Christine is occupied with marriage plans she doesn't have time to sing?"

"Erik-"

"Christine was born to sing! No wonder she's so miserable! I can't believe that there's no music in her life anymore! How can you let this go by, Madame?" the Phantom asked in disbelief.

"I've tried to expose Christine to music again. Raoul and Christine went with me to see Carmen but I think watching the performance made Christine feel depressed. She hasn't performed since Don Juan, you know. I think it's been hard for her being away from the theater."

"Of course it is!" the opera ghost exclaimed. Madame Giry jumped back from surprise. "The Paris Opera was, basically, her home for most of her entire life! Now that she's away from the theater, it's only natural that Christine isn't happy! She needs to sing again!"

The Phantom stopped his rant to think to himself. "I wonder…" the Angel of Music said as he pulled out his book. Once again, he opened it up and stared at its contents. A melody formed on his lips. "_In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came…_"

Erik closed the book and exclaimed, "Aha! And I know how to fix that!"

With a twirl of his cape, the Phantom of the Opera turned and started striding toward the door leading to the theater below. Madame Giry quickly followed behind very concerned. "Erik, what are you going to do?"

The Phantom stopped his determined march and turned toward the flustered dance captain. "Madame, I'm going to get my Angel of Music to sing again! Maybe I can find you a job as well!"

"Really? How are you going to do that?" the former ballet instructor asked him in wonder.

"You'll see," the opera ghost assured her, "And if you would be so kind to help me gather my most valuable possessions, I would be most grateful."

"Certainly, Monsieur, but what are you doing with them?"

"I'm selling them of course. I have no source of steady income now so I need to attain the money some other way. After that, I need to conduct some business with Monsieurs Andre and Firmin…"


	2. The House of Chagney

Disclaimer: Once again I will tell you that I do not own any copyrights for the Phantom. Despite that sad note, I hope you enjoy the story!

The Gift of Music

Christine woke up to the sound of Raoul gently calling her name. As she opened her eyes, the sleepy diva lovingly gazed into her fiancé's smiling face. "Good morning Raoul," Christine greeted him, "Merry Christmas."

"And a very merry Christmas to you, my dear," Raoul said as he leaned over to tenderly kiss her lips. "You look rather radiant today," the Viscount complimented his love.

"Why thank you, Raoul. So do you," Christine returned the compliment. A moment later she asked her fiancé, "When are your parents going to be here?"

"They sent us a telegram earlier this morning and I'm afraid they won't be able to make it today." Raoul told Christine with a slightly glum face, "There was a heavy snow storm last night so the roads are filled with snow. Mother and Father are going to try to come on Sunday instead."

"Sunday?" Christine fretfully asked Raoul as she sat up, "That's only a couple of days before the-"

"…before the wedding. Of course it is. Since Mother and Father are coming then, they said they would help us with the final preparations before the ceremony." Raoul consoled Christine, "Don't worry. We wouldn't have to entertain them."

"Oh," Christine sighed slightly relieved. "So is it just Madame Giry and Meg who are coming today?"

"I believe so," Raoul answered her, "Unless you wanted to invite anyone else."

"No, I don't think there's anyone else I would consider," Christine told Raoul. Despite what she said, the diva was secretly thinking of someone else she would like to invite. Unfortunately, she had no way to contact him and he would probably just create problems for them. Even though the Phantom let her go, she doubted that Raoul would warmly welcome him into their home. As far as she knew, her fiancé still held strong feelings of resentment towards the mysterious masked man. Not to mention, the Phantom probably felt the same way about Raoul (though his hatred was probably five times greater than Raoul's for obvious reasons).

Christine missed her Angel of Music, but what was done was done. The diva would probably never see him again. She could only wonder what he was doing on this snow-filled Christmas day and pray that he was safe.

"You might want to get dressed my dear," Raoul told Christine bringing her out of her reverie, "Meg and Madame Giry will probably be here in a little over an hour."

"What?" Christine asked confused. She got out of bed and looked at the grandfather clock on the other side of the room. The big hand rested fifteen minutes till one o' clock.

"Good lord!" Christine exclaimed, "I didn't realize that I'd slept so late!"

"No worries," Raoul consoled her, "I let you sleep late because I know you were so tired from working the night before. You have enough time to get dressed and eat a late breakfast before our guests arrive."

"Well, alright. I'll get dressed right now."

"I'll meet you downstairs, my love," Raoul pulled Christine close to him and they closed the space between them with a passionate kiss. Then Raoul reluctantly let go of Christine and walked out of the bedroom to let her dress.

Christine quickly dressed herself and went down toward the dining room for breakfast. On her way there, she heard a knock at the door. "I'll get it!" Christine shouted. "No, don't worry about it Walter. It's probably some close friends of ours," Christine reassured their butler, "I would like to greet them first."

Christine opened the door to find her former ballet teacher and her best friend. "Hello! I'm so glad to see you!" she welcomed them both with hugs. "How are things going for you both?"

"Well, I haven't been very busy, but Meg has been with her dancing." Madame Giry answered Christine.

"The managers at the Opera Comique liked my dancing in Carmen so much that they want me to continue to perform in more of their operas!" Meg excitedly told Christine.

"That's great, Meg!" Christine congratulated her best friend with a smile on her face. However, hearing about her friend's success made regret rise in Christine's soul. She expressed this regret by saying, "I wish that I was still performing. I don't have very many chances to sing nowadays and I miss the music."

"Maybe after you're settled with Raoul, you can come back to the theater!" Meg suggested to the former diva.

"Maybe…" Christine said dreamily, "We'll see."

"Oh, I almost forgot to ask you something, Christine," Madame Giry spoke up, "We brought along a friend who wanted to come to the party with us. Would he be welcome into your home?"

"Of course! Raoul's parents couldn't make it, anyways." Christine enthusiastically told her former dance instructor. "Who is this he? Is he a special friend of yours Meg?" she playfully asked her best friend with a giggle.

"Not exactly," Meg answered as she turned her head toward their newly invited guest.

Christine was about to introduce herself to their guest but, at once, she realized that wasn't necessary. A familiar man dressed in black wearing a white half mask occupied her doorstep. His expression was unreadable as he stared expectantly into her eyes. The words Christine was going to say were stuck in her throat as the former diva wondered how she was going to address her old vocal tutor. It was clear that the Phantom of the Opera wanted to see her again, but for what purpose?

Christine stood dumbstruck in her doorway until she heard her fiancé approach their gathering from behind. "Madame Giry and Meg are here already? Well, I'll have the cook prepare some lunch so we can all-" Raoul paused mid-sentence after he saw their new guest. The Viscount just stood there in silence; staring at the opera ghost with the rest of the party.

The tension in the atmosphere was so great, that no one was brave enough to say a word. Finally the Phantom spoke, "Would you kindly show me in, Monsieur and Madame Chagney? If you prefer, I'll just stay as long as necessary."

"And how long will that be?" Raoul curtly asked the Phantom.

"Raoul!" Christine exclaimed as she quickly backhanded his chest, "Do be a gentleman! He can stay as long as he wants to. It's Christmas after all!"

Before the Viscount could say anything else, their masked guest spoke again. "I can assure you it won't be very long. Just long enough to make an announcement to the four of you."

Christine turned to Raoul who reluctantly said, "Alright, let the man in." Christine opened the front door a little wider to let their guests into their home. After they were all inside, Christine closed the door. Raoul came over to his wife-to-be and took her hand. Christine could tell that Raoul was just as nervous as she was about the Phantom's sudden appearance. The frightened diva couldn't help but think, "What's so important that he's come to see us even after that horrible night at the theater?"

Madame Giry and her daughter walked over to Christine and Raoul. The former dance captain gave Raoul a reassuring pat on his shoulder while Meg took Christine's other hand with a firm squeeze. A moment of silence passed before the Phantom began to talk.

"This morning I went through a great deal of trouble to negotiate business with none other than Monsieurs Andre and Firmin. Even though they currently do nothing in their ownership of the Paris Opera, the two buffoons didn't want to part with it. Eventually, I coaxed and threatened the two men to part with the beloved opera house. So I now hold," the Phantom pulled out a roll of white parchment tied with a red ribbon from his cape, "the deed to the Paris Opera in my name." The opera ghost removed the ribbon and dramatically unrolled the parchment to show everyone that he now owned the theater.

"Erik," Madame Giry interrupted the masked man's speech, "I thought you always considered-"

"The opera house as my own," the Phantom had slipped the ribbon around the rolled up deed and proceeded to tuck it away within the folds of his cape, "I know, but I had never legally bought the place, of course. I decided to buy the theater while it was in bad shape so I could repair it and hold opera performances again. In fact," the musical masked man pulled out a black book and held it high so everyone could see it, "I'm working on a new one right now."

Christine and Meg both gasped in shock. Raoul gaped at the book with uncertainty. Tensions began to rise once more.

"Wh-What does this have to do with us?" Raoul concernedly asked the Phantom, "With Christine?"

"Patience, Viscount! I was just getting to that!" the Phantom rebuked Raoul before returning to his speech, "My opera is still a work in progress, and I could use a partner who would help me write the script and compose the music. Now, it's crucial that my partner has a soprano vocal range. Even though I can play soprano parts on the organ, I need to hear them sung. Then I can place the characters with the melodies they sing." The opera ghost paused for a moment and turned to Christine, "I would be honored if you would help me compose this chef-d'oeuvre."

Christine was stunned. Of course she had performed in many operas but she never dreamed of actually _creating_ one.

"Uh-Uh-I don't know what to say," Christine struggled to speak.

"Monsieur, you can't be-" Raoul tried to intercede.

"Now, I know that you and the Viscount might have some misgivings about my proposal. If you accept, I can assure you that our partnership will be strictly professional. Madame Giry will even work with us so-"

"Sir, if you're planning on trying to steal her away again-!" Raoul interrupted the Phantom.

Now it was Christine's turn to interrupt her husband-to-be, "Raoul! Madame Giry wouldn't let that happen, even he did try! Besides, he let us leave his home, remember?"

"Of course I remember! But don't forget how Giry stood by last time and let the Phantom do as he pleased!"

"Monsieur, I never-!"

"What about performing?"

Everyone fell silent. This was the first time Meg had spoken since the Phantom entered the house. Her soft, sweet voice asked the question that was in everyone's hearts yet no one had dared to ask. All eyes fell upon her. Meg addressed the Phantom again, "You never mentioned that you would want Christine to perform in this opera. You wanted her to be Aminta in Don Juan. Isn't it obvious that you want her to be the lead in this one, as well?"

The musical masked man sighed and raised his hand to his temple. He seemed to be painfully contemplating on what he was going to say. Finally, the Phantom removed his hand from his temple and said, "You have assumed correctly, Meg. I would give anything for Christine to perform in my new opera. However, I will not force her to do so. Nor will I force her to help me write the show."

"What?" everyone questioned in shock.

"This is an offer, not an obligation. I can understand if you do not want to undertake in any of this, Christine. You have gone through enough drama for a lifetime. That's why I'm giving you a choice. I promise the off-stage drama will be kept to a minimum if you choose to help me. Though if you desire nothing more than to be away from theater business, I won't impose my business on you."

Everyone turned toward the diva; expecting her to say something. However, Christine stood there in shock, barely registering what the Phantom was telling her. Her Angel of Music had never given her a choice when it came to performing. Ever since she was the lead in "Hannibal", the Phantom expected her to keep the leading roles. This choice that the opera ghost was giving her made Christine feel uneasy.

Finally, the former diva cleared her throat and asked, "Phantom? Uh- How would you prefer to be called?"

"Erik is fine. It's the name that I was born with," the masked man answered her.

"Alright. Erik, why are you offering me this? And why are you letting me decide whether I work with you or not?" Christine gazed at him intently.

Erik took a couple of steps toward her before he said, "I want to bring some music back into your life. Madame Giry told me that you miss the theater and you even said that you miss the music. Even if you don't want to help me write my opera or perform in it, you and your…fiancé," the Phantom remarked resignedly with a sigh, "are welcome to see my operas free of charge."

"You're very generous! But why-?"

"Do I let you make the decision?" the Phantom finished her question. "As I've said before, you've gone through enough drama for a lifetime, Christine. I don't want to give you any reason to live in fear. Besides, from what I've heard, you and Raoul have plenty on your plate at the moment."

Erik took a couple of steps back, away from his audience. He looked intently upon Christine. At this point, it was clear that he was done talking and he was waiting for an answer from his former student.

"Well, Christine, what do you say?" Madame Giry asked her.

Christine didn't know what to say. Of course, she sorely missed many things about being in an opera. Watching the twirling ballerinas, dancing on the magnificently ornamented stage and singing to an animated crowd were just a few things she yearned to do again. Not to mention that she longed to hear the melodies of her Angel of Music. However, the Phantom had caused her and Raoul a lot of grief in the past. Who wasn't to say that he wouldn't do so again? Unless he truly had a change in heart…

Christine thought about all of this, so she asked Raoul what he thought. He answered, "As much as I don't like the sound of his proposition, I have to admit he seems more…trustworthy than before. The fact that he's actually confiding all of this to us, personally, is a good sign. It's like he said. The choice is yours." He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Christine thought once more about what she would be getting into and then made her decision. She cleared her throat and said, "Right now I don't think I can assist you, Erik. There's just so much we need to prepare for in a short time."

The Phantom brought his gaze to the floor dejectedly.

"However," Christine added, "Once Raoul and I have settled in, I would like to take you up your offer to help write the opera."

Meg gasped, Raoul squeezed her hand again, and the musical masked man lifted his gaze in surprise to meet Christine's eyes. "You want to help me?" the Phantom asked the former diva.

"On the condition that we keep a cordial partnership," Christine answered him, "If you undertake in any behavior that's less than friendly or more than friendly then I will renounce our agreement."

The Phantom smiled and said, "I think I can keep my part of the bargain."

The diva and the opera ghost approached each other and shook hands. A smile crept up Christine's face and she asked her new partner, "Erik, would you like to stay for lunch? It's Christmas after all."

The Phantom began to say "I'm not sure. My opera house-"

"Erik," Madame Giry interrupted the masked man's excuse, "It can wait. You've been working very hard on your opera and you could use some company. Why don't you stay?" Despite the Phantom's intentions to leave, the former ballet captain gracefully slipped her arm through his and led him toward the dining room.

As the two friends disappeared into the dining room, Meg gave a little giggle. "Mother will keep him here for a few hours at least. This is probably his first dinner party so maybe you should offer him some drinks to help him relax," she told Raoul and Christine. With another giggle, Meg skipped her way to the dining hall.

Christine and Raoul were the only two left in the entrance hall. Raoul turned toward his wife-to-be and concernedly asked her, "So, you're sure about this? It's what you want?"

Christine turned to face him. She answered, "Yes. It'll be alright. I can tell that the Phantom has changed for the better. I don't think he'll try anything that would cause any harm. If he misses me as much as I miss the theater, then he'll keep his passion in check. I have faith in him."

"Alright, my dear. As long as you know what you're doing I suppose that's fine with me," Raoul resignedly told Christine, "Let's go join the others."

As they started walking toward the dining room, however, Raoul almost tripped over something. The couple looked down to find a small, black box that appeared to be for holding jewelry. Raoul picked up the box and stared at it in wonder.

"Whose is this?" Raoul asked Christine, "Could it be the Phantom's?"

"I don't know," his love answered him, "Why don't we open it to find out?"

Raoul slowly lifted the lid off the black box and peered inside. At once, Raoul's eyes flew wide open and he gaped in shock.

"What is it?" Christine questioned him apprehensively.

"Look!" Raoul stretched out his arm so that Christine could see what was inside. Peeking into the box, Christine saw something that she had never expected to see again. It was the engagement ring that Raoul originally bought for her. The diva gasped to see her precious ring months after the Phantom tried to pass it off as his own.

To add to the shock of finding the ring, there was a note inside the box, as well. It read, _To the Viscount de Chagney and my beloved Christine: I am sorry for the misery and the anxiety that I have caused for the both of you. I have never loved anyone like Christine in my entire life. Unfortunately, that love brought me to try and hide her from the rest of the world like I had done to myself. I was selfish and claimed Christine as my prize even though her heart desired another. I hope that someday you both will forgive me for the selfish acts that I have committed. I'm trying to do everything possible to make it up to you. I figured a good way to start is to return this ring. Merry Christmas, O.G._

After reading the note, the two lovers turned toward each other in astonishment.

"It appears he truly has a change of heart," Raoul said observably.

"I told you that I had faith in him," Christine told her fiancé. "Here," the diva gently handed the dazzling ring to Raoul, "I'll let you do the honors. Then let's go join our friends for lunch. I still haven't eaten yet!"

With a smile, Raoul slipped the glittering engagement ring on his love's ring finger. He kissed her hand and asked his wife-to-be, "Shall we?" Then they walked into the dining hall where they ate in the company of dear friends.

In fact, for years to come, the Viscount and his wife would hold many Christmas dinner parties in that dining hall. Of course only close friends were invited, but their confidants eventually extended to the whole opera troupe. At many of these parties, the Phantom would always proudly boast that he brought the theater back to its former glory with some assistance from his best friends. Not only did Christine and Madame Giry help compose some of their best works, but Raoul contributed a copious amount of money for the renovation of the theater. No matter what the year brought, the Phantom would always praise the rest of the actors and stage crew for many shows well done. Over the years, the opera troupe came to know and respect the new owner of their grand theater. For this reason, Erik never had another solitary Christmas.


End file.
